Henry Hyde, former U.S. Representative, died according to the Associated Press which cited the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner.

The Illinois Republican was 83. He represented his suburban Chicago district for 32 years and then retired. Among other activities, he is well known for leading the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton in 1998.

However, Hyde had a similar marital affair of his own in the late 1960s for which he publicly apologized, Salon.com reported in Sept. 1998.

His death occurred early Thursday morning at a hospital near Chicago, the congressional sources reported. The Georgetown University graduate had underwent open-heart surgery in July and he never recovered from the intervention.

Besides the 32 years served in the House that began in 1974 and during which he also served as a chairman of the Judiciary and International Relations committees, Hyde also worked in the Illinois legislature for eight years.

He was married to Jeanne Simpson Hyde from 1947 until her death in 1992. Two years ago Hyde lost his older child, Henry "Hank" Hyde, Jr., who passed away due to liver cancer. He was survived by his three children.

Although he graduated from Georgetown University, where he played basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas and helped them reach the 1943 Final Four, Hyde obtained his law degree from Loyola University.

During the World War II, he served in the Navy and was deployed in combat in the Philippines. He was in the Naval Reserve from 1946 to 1968 and retired at the rank of Commander, after serving as officer in charge of the U.S. Naval Intelligence Reserve Unit in Chicago.

Hyde received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, on November 5, 2007.

The White House press release stated:

"A veteran, a lawyer, and a public servant, Henry Hyde has served his country with honor and dedication. During his 32-year career in the House of Representatives, he was a powerful defender of life, a leading advocate for a strong national defense, and an unwavering voice for liberty, democracy, and free enterprise around the world. A true gentleman of the House, he advanced his principles without rancor and earned the respect of friends and adversaries alike. The United States honors Henry Hyde for his distinguished record of service to America."